Cheshire East support City status bid for Crewe

Cheshire East Council is supporting a town-council led bid to grant Crewe ‘city status’.

As part of a competition launched to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, three new cities

are to be designated in 2022.

Crewe Town Council has announced it will be putting forward a bid

for the railway town

to be granted the rare honour.

Councillor Nick Mannion, chair of Cheshire East Council’s economy and growth

committee, said: “Work has been ongoing at pace to carve out a new chapter for Crewe

and its communities and to secure the town’s long-term economic growth.

“Looking at just the past few months’ achievements, we have seen the highly successful

reopening of the Market Hall and a total of £37m of government investment is now

allocated to Crewe through the Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund.

“We continue to work closely with our partners, including Crewe Town Council and

Crewe Town Board, to

maximise the

significant regeneration and investment

opportunities available to the town both now and in the future, such as the arrival of high-

speed rail, and to deliver on our shared vision.

“The town council’s bid for city status illustrates the sheer weight of the ambition to

ensure the town’s revitalisation and recognises the strategic importance of Crewe both

locally and nationally.”

Other major successes realised in the town include the opening of the University

Technical College and Lifestyle Centre, as well as the delivery of a number of major

highways projects including the Sydney Road Bridge and Crewe Green Roundabout

schemes.

The council has been allocated up to £14.1m of government funding from the Future

High Streets Fund. Most recently, Crewe also secured a ‘Town Deal’ and a separate

allocation of funding from the government’s Towns Fund of up to £22.9m.

The funding allocations are earmarked to deliver two packages of projects that will

support the town’s ongoing regeneration.

Meanwhile, work is ongoing on the Royal Arcade scheme and on a major package of

active travel and road improvements in North West Crewe.